


No Good Men

by t0talcha0s



Category: BioShock
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, M/M, Minor Violence, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 04:26:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7207787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t0talcha0s/pseuds/t0talcha0s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe it was Andrew's own fault for ever calling someone a friend, or maybe there was no space in the world for good men.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Good Men

Andrew Ryan was a man of solidarity. He did not have many, if any, friends, merely many professional acquaintances. Sullivan had known him the longest, and Andrew appreciated his company, but they never passed being workplace associates. Andrew thought Sander Cohen was a brilliant artist, but not much of a conversationalist or companion outside of the artistic world. Diane, his fiancée now, was a very sweet and beautiful woman, but he would never consider her with the same fondness he would a friend. Andrew kept his inner circle trimmed and closely guarded so no one may easily enter, at least not until Bill McDonagh entered Andrew's life.

Bill had been just a plumber when Andrew met him. He worked quickly and with little fuss, and his workmanship was impeccable, Andrew immediately admired him, a strong willed working man was just the sort of person Andrew wanted for company. Bill was not only an incredible worker with a good philosophy in his head, but he was also almost daringly honest and prideful, Andrew liked that. Never before had someone so quickly become such a close companion of the great man Andrew Ryan, but Bill was truly exceptional. 

Andrew knew after about a month of having Bill as his general contractor that he was the man Andrew wanted to oversee the construction of the North Atlantic Project. Confronting and informing Bill of his ambitious undertaking was something Andrew didn't quite know how to do, so he sent Sullivan to do it; luckily Sullivan and Bill had formed a friendship of their own and Sullivan had told Andrew in confidence that Bill was one of the finest men he had ever met. Bill was startled at the immense project Andrew wanted him to take on but took up the job happily, with a nod and an assertion that he was not one to back down from a challenge. Andrew thought that was a deeply admirable trait. 

The Whales brothers, Simon and Daniel, were wonders of architectural design and Rapture turned out more beautiful then Andrew could have imagined. The day Andrew decided to show Bill around the halls of Rapture, as Bill had only worked on overseeing construction of details to make sure the city was both sustainable and functional, he had a feeling of nervous pride in his chest. He lead Bill into a private bathysphere and he blamed the irregular feeling in his chest on the change of pressure during the descent. Bill's eyes filled with a serene sort of amazement as the silhouette of rapture came into view. The strong figures of the buildings, the stunning Art Deco flares that touched each structure's design, the fauna weaving around the city as though it were completely natural, it was surely breathtaking if Bill's reaction were anything to go by, but Andrew couldn't take his eyes off of Bill's face. Andrew settled proudly into his stance, a thrum of satisfaction humming through him at Bill's approval as he lead him out of the bathysphere and into the tour of Rapture's structures that were fully operational at the time. Bill was amazed and Andrew was deeply pleased. 

When it came to picking citizens to sit on the Rapture Central Council Bill Mcdonagh was first on Andrew's list, right above Sullvian. He packed the room full of artists and business men and scientists and Bill didn't fit into any of those categories but defied all expectations and spoke up at, and attended, every meeting. Andrew most always agreed with what Bill had to say, and appreciated how succinct and eloquent the man was when speaking. Bill stuck to his ideals and wasn't afraid to speak up to defend them, Andrew found it admirable. When the pest Fontaine began scrabbling for power and finding some purchase Bill's comments on the situation were consistently insightful and wise, even if Andrew didn't always follow his advice. 

Bill was never louder during the Central Council meetings then the meetings regarding the takeover of Fontaine Futuristics. He urged Andrew to hand the company over to Atlas to keep the tensions from escalating further, he told the council to distribute Fontaine's assets as according to his last will and testament, and when Andrew absorbed all of Fontaine Futuristics into Ryan Industries Bill stomped into Andrew's office and slapped a letter of resignation and protest down on his desk, leaving without listening to a single word of explanation or bargaining. Andrew admired how he stuck to his convictions, but the loss was a great blow to both the council and Andrew personally. He refused to acknowledge the burn in his chest when he thought of how Bill betrayed him, and he glared at Sullivan whenever he informed Andrew he was leaving early for a dinner party at the McDonagh's. 

Andrew knew, after that, that he was running Rapture in a way Bill would, and did, fervently disapprove of. He ignored how that thought made him feel, he carried on running Rapture that way, he wouldn't be derailed now. Bill used to admit that Andrew's stubbornness was something he found equally irritating and admirable. Andrew tried his best not to think of him. 

The day Bill walked into Andrew's office Andrew was initially so pleased to see him. He barely noticed the pistol or shake in Bill's left hand, his dominant hand. Bill didn't say anything, his eyes were as wide and serious as the day that he first saw Rapture, but much more guilty and apologetic. Andrew knew what it was the minute Bill began to raise his left arm. 

"I'm sorry mister Ryan." Bill said, so truthfully that Andrew regretted ever hearing it. Andrew shook his head, almost humorously. Bill could never go through with it and Andrew knew that, but he almost felt as though he were shot anyway. "It has to be done." This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, many people had tried to assassinate Andrew at that point, most recently a young woman who previously worked as a shoe maker, and that wasn't an uncommon thing for potential assassins to say. Bill raised his arm solidly, though it shook, Andrew thought Sullivan had taught him better. There was an uncomfortable uncertainty in Bill's eyes, and then he swung the butt of his pistol into Andrew's temple and slunk away as his vision faded. 

Andrew was grateful Bill's body was pinned the furthest from his office door. He looked at it each day as he walked to his office. Andrew didn't know who had been the one to do it in the end, some unknown worker, low on the chain, presumably maintenance. Nothing stung more about the situation then the wrongness of Bill's blood on Andrew's floor. Andrew knew it didn't belong there, wished somehow the corpse hadn't bled. He only felt worse when some unnamed, or at least unknown, janitorial staff mopped Bill's blood away as though it were some run of the mill water spill. Andrew felt bile rise in his throat at the image of that man on his wall, he should have known better then to ever categorize anyone as a friend. Andrew turned away from the sight and walked into his office, it was all of no matter now.

**Author's Note:**

> Lmao this is rlly gay. 
> 
> My Tumblr's Barefootcosplayer


End file.
